The Vale of Ewyas () is the steep-sided and secluded

valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains and typically containing a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams over ...

of the River Honddu, in the Black Mountains of

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

and within the

Brecon Beacons The Brecon Beacons (; ) are a mountain range in Wales. The range includes South Wales's highest mountain, Pen y Fan (), its twin summit Corn Du (), and Craig Gwaun Taf (), which are the three highest peaks in the range. The Brecon Beacons ha ...

National Park A national park is a nature park designated for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes because of unparalleled national natural, historic, or cultural significance. It is an area of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that is protecte ...

. As well as its outstanding beauty, it is known for the ruins of Llanthony Priory, and for several noteworthy churches such as those at Capel-y-ffin and Cwmyoy. It is sometimes referred to as the "Llanthony Valley" as Llanthony is the village situated at the valley centre.

Geography

The Vale is named after the cantref of Ewias, which may have originally been a small Welsh kingdom following the Roman withdrawal from Britain and which, after the

Norman conquest of England The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Normans, Norman, French people, French, Flemish people, Flemish, and Bretons, Breton troops, all led by the Du ...

and Norman invasion of Wales, became an autonomous

lordship A lordship is a territory held by a lord. It was a landed estate that served as the lowest administrative and judicial unit in rural areas. It originated as a unit under the feudal system during the Middle Ages. In a lordship, the functions of eco ...

within the March of Wales. In 1536, the Vale became part of the new county of

Monmouthshire Monmouthshire ( ; ) is a Principal areas of Wales, county in the South East Wales, south east of Wales. It borders Powys to the north; the English counties of Herefordshire and Gloucestershire to the north and east; the Severn Estuary to the s ...

, while other parts of Ewyas to the east became incorporated into

Herefordshire Herefordshire ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England, bordered by Shropshire to the north, Worcestershire to the east, Gloucestershire to the south-east, and the Welsh ...

. At the head of the Vale is the Gospel Pass, which is reputed to have been named after the time in the 12th century when the Third Crusade passed through the area preaching and fund raising. Nearby, at Capel-y-ffin, is an 18th-century church or

chapel A chapel (from , a diminutive of ''cappa'', meaning "little cape") is a Christianity, Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. First, smaller spaces inside a church that have their o ...

, one of the smallest in the country, and close to the former home of designer Eric Gill. Further south near the valley entrance, at Cwmyoy, the church there has suffered gradual subsidence over the centuries, and is best known for the disorienting tilts and twists of the building which add to its character. A few miles away, further into the Black Mountains, is Partrishow or Patricio, which has an outstanding 11th-century church. Bruce Chatwin's book '' On the Black Hill'' depicts the upland livestock farming community over the past 100 years or so in the area. A locally born writer and academic

Raymond Williams Raymond Henry Williams (31 August 1921 – 26 January 1988) was a Welsh socialist writer, academic, novelist and critic influential within the New Left and in wider culture. His writings on politics, culture, the media and literature contribu ...

may well have set to restore the balance with his two books on the People of the Black Mountains, written a few years afterwards. The Vale of Ewyas is accessed by a single track road between Llanfihangel Crucorney, near Abergavenny, and

Hay-on-Wye Hay-on-Wye, or simply Hay (; or simply ), is a market town and community (Wales), community in Powys, Wales. With over twenty bookshops, it is often described as a book town, "town of books"; it is both the National Book Town of Wales and the s ...

. The northern part of the valley, above Capel-y-Ffin, is within the

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

Powys Powys ( , ) is a Principal areas of Wales, county and Preserved counties of Wales, preserved county in Wales. It borders Gwynedd, Denbighshire, and Wrexham County Borough, Wrexham to the north; the English Ceremonial counties of England, ceremo ...

(historically

Brecknockshire Brecknockshire ( or ), also known as the County of Brecknock, Breconshire, or the County of Brecon, was Historic counties of Wales, one of the thirteen counties of Wales that existed from 1536 until their abolishment in 1974. It was created in 1 ...

), and the southern part within

Llanthony Priory

The Priory was formerly an Augustinian monastery until the dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry VIII. The ruins are protected by Cadw and access is free; however, dogs are barred from entering. The ruins were much painted in the 18th and 19th century, including and famously by J. M. W. Turner. The associated lodgings still attached to the ruins and known as The Abbey Hotel, are still used and there is a cellar pub where refreshments can be had during regular opening hours. The road from either Hay in the north or Llanfihangel Crucorney is, however, only a single track and delays may occur when the road is busy.

External links

Article
by journalist Simon Jenkins
Llanthony Priory in the Vale of Ewyas: the landscape impact of a medieval Priory in the Welsh Marches
{{coord, 51.941, -3.035, type:landmark_region:GB_dim:10000, display=title Valleys of Monmouthshire Valleys of Powys Black Mountains, Wales